For XP Users, Latest IE Threat Just Another Finger in the Eye

April 30, 2014January 10, 2017

As a kid, it was fun watching the 3 Stooges jam fingers into each other’s eyes, but if you are still on Windows XP, you will be the one with a watery eye. The latest security flaw in Internet Explorer 6 and up, whereby bad actors could potentially gain access to vulnerable PC’s, is bad enough that the US Department of Homeland Security had to issue a statement and a course of action until a patch arrives from Microsoft. That’s a little scary for sure, but help is on the way.

But not for XP users.

There is no patch for these laggards and you should get used to this as a recurring theme. Like Moe repeatedly nailing Curly in one eye then the other, XP users are getting the finger, so to speak. At least with this latest vulnerability, you have some options like using Chrome or Firefox instead of IE.

Before you take that deep breath and start your anti-Microsoft rant, remember it is not Microsoft’s fault, but your own, which, somehow hurts even more. Windows XP is over 12 years old. If you or your organization is still on it, then you have failed to adequately plan and now your procrastination chickens are coming home to roost.

Yeah, you can carry on that XP was the last great OS that Microsoft produced, but the security guard escorting you out of the building won’t really care to hear it. After all, it is just an excuse. I know, a little harsh.

Now, if you are still on XP (or Office 2003), don’t panic, just get moving. There are plenty of resources and tools out there to help get your migration going fast, but you have to act.